By Raising and Donating an Estimated $450,000 in Materials and Labor, DPR Helps Turn Advanced Construction Tech Academy Into a Reality

DPR has gone “back to school” in San Diego, where it has taken a lead role helping the San Diego City School District create a progressive new Construction Tech Academy for kids headed towards architecture, engineering and construction-related careers.

The San Diego office’s involvement in this unique community project stems from one of its five-year Base Camp goals—to speak to local high school and college students about construction career opportunities. After becoming aware of the drive underway to create a new Construction Tech Academy within the local school district, this past spring, DPR teamed up with the Carpenters Union to serve on the advisory board that was working to turn that vision into reality. DPR is the only active general contractor on the board, which also includes trade organizations and school and university personnel.

The advisory board selected existing Kearny High School as the site for the “school within a school,” established curriculum for the magnet four-year program, and accepted the first 120 students to come into the program as freshmen in fall 2002. (Ultimately, the academy will accommodate up to 500 students in four grades.) However, once it came time to actually renovate the run-down space that would house the academy, money was short. DPR stepped up to the plate, raising an estimated $450,000 in material and labor to transform the run-down auto shop and classroom space into a modern loft-type studio reminiscent of an urban architect’s quarters.

In addition to securing materials and labor donations from a host of subcontractors, DPR managed the project and self-performed all the drywall work. Work included renovation of space to create a pre-engineering lab, computer design lab, and technology support and math classrooms. The suite containing academy offices, classrooms and small auditorium has been named “The DPR Construction Academy Laboratory.”

The transformation has been nothing short of amazing, according to DPR Project Manager Jason Stewart, who along with Superintendent Aaron Jilka has been involved from the outset.

“The academy looks amazing, and I think we helped bring the level of expectation up from the staff, faculty, students and everybody else involved,” he comments. “It’s been so invigorating and rewarding to be a part of this project. The kids are excited, energized and eager to learn. It’s just a great, uplifting thing.”